T. Komprda et al., Meat quality of broilers fattened deliberately slow by cereal mixtures to higher age. 2. Total lipid, cholesterol and fatty acid content, ARCH GEFLUG, 65(1), 2001, pp. 38-43
Three experimental groups (twelve animals each) of female chickens of the R
oss 208 hybrid combination were fattened intentionally slow by cereal mixtu
res (given from the age of six weeks exclusively). The experimental diets w
ere as follows: wheat-type (W) diet fed restrictively (WR), and maize-type
diet (M) fed either restrictively (MR) or semi-ad libitum (MS). The fourth
group of chickens (control) was fattened a commercial feed mixture ad libit
um. Birds were slaughtered when they reached the live weight of 2200 g (46,
74, 87 and 90 days for control, MS, WR and MR group), and were analysed fo
r cholesterol by liquid chromatography and fatty acids by gas chromatograph
y in breast meat and thigh meat.
Slowly growing chickens of all groups deposited more (P < 0.01) cholesterol
in breast meat and thigh meat as compared to the control group. MS-chicken
s had higher (P < 0.01) cholesterol content in breast meat and thigh meat t
han WR-chickens. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content in thigh
meat lipids, and alpha -linolenic acid and linoleic acid concentration in b
oth breast meat Lipids and thigh meat lipids of chickens of all slow growin
g groups was lower (P < 0.01) as compared to control chickens, despite the
higher content of total PUFA in W and M diets in comparison with the contro
l diet. Less (P < 0.01) linoleic acid was deposited in thigh meat lipids of
WR-chickens than in MR-chickens. Despite the higher linoleic/alpha -linole
nic acid ratio in the experimental finishers (W, M), content of eicosapenta
enoic acid in thigh meat lipids did not differ (P > 0.05) between all group
s of chickens, and content of eicosapentaenoic acid in breast meat lipids o
f WR-chickens and docosahexaenoic acid in breast meat lipids of MR-chickens
was even higher (P < 0.01) in comparison with the control group. Concentra
tion of arachidonic acid decreased (P < 0.01) both in breast meat lipids an
d in thigh meat lipids in the sequence: restrictively fed chickens (WR, MR)
> semi- nd libitum fed chickens (MS) > fast growing chickens (control). Ar
achidonic acid content in breast meat and thigh meat was 67-89 and 113-135
mg/100 g of the fresh matter in experimental chickens (W, M), and 14 and 17
mg/100 g in control chickens, respectively.
We conclude that meat of chickens fattened intentionally slow by the cereal
diets and slaughtered at twelve weeks contained 20% more cholesterol and s
ix times more arachidonic acid, and was therefore less favourable from the
viewpoint of a healthy human nutrition than meat of conventionally fed broi
lers slaughtered at six weeks of age.